1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cutting mechanism for materials in web, layer or similar form, which has at least one cutting roller mounted in the vicinity of its ends on a base in the operating position or some similar cutting tool. The cutting mechanism is in particular suitable as a slitting device for small-size cross-cutters, in which e.g. paper webs in several superimposed material layers are slit into individual useful widths during passage in the longitudinal or conveying direction thereof and immediately thereafter said useful widths are cross-cut into individual useful sizes over the entire width of the material webs, so that a plurality of individual useful sizes are formed with in each case block-like, superimposed, equally large material blanks.
2. Prior Art
In the case of cutting mechanisms of the aforementioned type the cutting roller must be mounted on the machine or equipment frame, which e.g. forms the base and must then frequently be disassembled again, e.g. for resharpening or replacing tools which have become blunt, or to reequip the cutting mechanism to different widths of cut.
In the case of known cutting mechanism the assembly and disassembly of the cutting roller are very time-consuming, because initially the driving connection of the cutting roller must undergo assembly or fitting operations at an unfavorable point and then it is necessary to manipulate numerous fastening elements with which the cutting roller is mounted in its operating position. This leads to machine downtimes, which can exceed 30 to 60 minutes.
An object of the invention is to provide a cutting mechanism of the aforementioned type obviating the disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the cutting roller must be assemblable and also disassemblable in a much shorter time of e.g. only a few minutes.
According to the invention this object is achieved by a cutting mechanism of the aforementioned type, in that means are provided for the rapid fitting or assembly of the cutting roller and which e.g. enable it to be replaced, i.e. both the disassembly and then reassembly in less than 30 or 15 minutes and preferably between approximately 2 and 4 minutes. This leads to correspondingly short machine downtimes for the reequipping of the cutting mechanism, so that the cutting mechanism has much better performance characteristics.
In particularly advantageous manner an assembly device constructed as a replacement device is provided, which has means making it possible, through a very small number and in particular only a single coupling movement per high-speed coupling, to release or engage the connection of the cutting roller to the associated roller bearing or roller drive, or with both simultaneously. Thus, the cutting roller can be freed very quickly from its receptacle determining its axial position relative to the base and can be so radially or axially moved with respect to the base, that on disassembly it can be removed, or on assembly can be transferred into its clearly defined operating position.
In place of an also conceivable rotary coupling movement and/or a coupling movement transversely or radially with respect to the cutting roller axis, a particularly easy manipulation is obtained if at least one and in particular the sole coupling movement per assembly or drive coupling is substantially linear and in particular axially parallel to the cutting roller in the operating position. The coupling members of the coupling are appropriately arranged in such a way that in the released position they are staggered as a whole or axially with respect to one another, so that the cutting roller in the vicinity of said coupling is completely freed for removal or insertion in the assembly position with a corresponding degree of freedom.
In order to be able to assemble and disassemble at least one end of the cutting roller independently of the associated bearing or without the same, the coupling member of said coupling associated with the base is advantageously mounted in rotary manner on the latter, its bearing simultaneously constituting the cutting roller bearing. This coupling member can also be movably mounted for performing the associated coupling movement.
A particularly advantageous further development of the invention involves the coupling members of at least one coupling being located substantially in the axis of the cutting roller in the operating position or being substantially axially symmetrical to said cutting roller axis. For example, the engaging coupling surfaces can be in the form of ring or envelope surfaces optionally surrounding the cutting roller axis, so that, unlike as would also be conceivable, there is no need for coupling members individually distributed in the form of a ring around the cutting roller axis. It is also possible in this case for each coupling to have only two directly detachably engaging coupling parts.
It is also possible for the coupling members of at least one coupling to be located in the assembly or operating position axially outside the actual cutting roller and to be connected thereto, e.g. via a short shaft portion. However, it is particularly advantageous if the coupling members or at least the coupling surfaces of at least one coupling for the cutting roller in the operating position to be located substantially completely within said roller, so that same can have a roller body with a substantially constant external diameter between its two end faces. The roller body can also form a dimensionally stable body, which is either constructed in one piece or is assembled from immovable or rigidly interconnected components, without the actual roller body needing a movable component in the vicinity of the coupling.
For performing the coupling movement, preferably only the coupling member associated with the base for at least one coupling for the cutting roller is movably mounted, which simplifies the operation of the coupling. Instead of this, additionally or only the coupling member of said coupling provided on the cutting roller need be movable for performing the coupling movement, but said coupling member is preferably fixed to the cutting roller or is constructed in one piece with the associated cutting roller portion.
For transferring the coupling between the coupling and the release position, appropriately an actuator is provided, which is connected to or actuated by a drive mechanism, such as e.g. a hydraulic, pneumatic, electromagnetic, electromotive or similar drive and/or is constructed for manual operation and for this has a corresponding easily accessible operating or actuating handle in the immediate vicinity thereof or slightly axially displaced with respect to the associated coupling members.
The rotary movement of the operating handle can be transferred in simple manner via a cam control to the associated coupling member and e.g. the cam control can have as the runner a journal and as the cam a track, which has a slope or rise in the direction of the coupling movement, so that there is a geared down actuating connection.
In order that the coupling cannot be accidentally released in the coupling position, means are provided for securing said coupling position. They can be constituted e.g. by a self-locking engagement of the runner in the cam or by a positive and disengageably engaging blocking element or both, so that it is optionally possible to have a continuous axial adjustment of the cutting roller.
To ensure that the cutting roller is not fitted with its ends positioned opposite to the intended arrangement, appropriately two couplings are constructed differently, so that each coupling member of one coupling cannot be brought into correct operating connection with the corresponding coupling member of the other coupling. This can e.g. be brought about by different size or diameter of the coupling members or the coupling surfaces of the two couplings. According to the invention only two couplings are required for the easily disassemblable and assemblable arrangement, as well as driving connection of the cutting roller, each coupling being located in the vicinity of one end of the cutting roller and only one of these two couplings produces the driving connection with the cutting roller, whilst the coupling member of the other coupling associated with the base is constructed so as to freely rotate. The cutting members of at least one coupling and preferably all the couplings are appropriately located within an envelope surface defined by the outer circumference of the roller body of the cutting roller in the operating position, so that the coupling does not project radially over the outer circumference of the roller body or cutting roller and is instead radially set back with respect thereto.
For securing or fixing at least one coupling member in the coupling position, it can also be spring loaded roughly in the direction of the coupling movement to the coupling position, such a spring loading appropriately only being provided on a single coupling, particularly that which freely rotates or that which is located further from the drive. The coupling members of at least one coupling are appropriately fixed with respect to one another in the coupling position, so that the position of the cutting roller is only precisely determined in its axial orientation or alignment by the couplings.
In addition, the coupling members of at least one coupling appropriately form a self-centring centering device for the cutting roller, so that the radial orientation or alignment of the cutting roller can also exclusively take place through the assembly couplings. In a simple embodiment at least one coupling member of the particular coupling has a frustum-shaped coupling surface, whose average diameter can be much larger than its axial extension. Preferably the coupling member forming the outer cone is positioned on the base, so that the cutting roller only has to have an inner cone at both ends and this is e.g. closed in blind hole-like manner on the bottom.
According to the invention for a cutting mechanism of the described or similar type, an alignment or orientation device is proposed, through which the cutting roller can be at least approximately aligned or oriented with respect to the bearing in the base, if it is released from the said bearing, e.g. by transferring the couplings into the release position. The orientation position of the cutting roller determined by the orientation device is advantageously such that the cutting roller is slightly radially displaced with respect to its operating position, but is so positioned that the coupling members can still be engaged with one another and during the further transfer into the coupling position bring the cutting roller into the axial position belonging to the operating position, as a result of the self-centering action thereof. This also leads to a much simpler and faster assembly of the cutting roller, particularly if the orienting device forms a support for the cutting roller, so that the latter does not have to be oriented with respect to its bearing by manual carrying during assembly or fitting and e.g. rests by the outer circumference of its roller body on the support surfaces, whose position with respect to the base or the bearing is precisely defined.
In order to be able to accurately determine the position of the cutting roller for this orientation, appropriately at least one roll or sliding stop is provided, against, which the cutting roller can engage, e.g. with the outer circumference of its roller body by rolling about its axis. Instead or in addition thereto, appropriately axial guides are provided, with which are associated as opposite surfaces on the cutting roller the end faces of the roller body.
Assembly can be further simplified in that between an area below the base and the area for said orientation of the cutting roller is provided a transfer path for said roller and in particular at least one roll or sliding rail, on which the cutting roller can be moved by rolling backwards and forwards between the two areas. The associated end of this transfer path simultaneously forms the aforementioned support and optionally the sliding stops or axial guides located in the vicinity of the cutting roller ends.
These and other features of preferred developments of the invention can be gathered from the claims, description and drawings and the individual features can be realized either singly or in the form of subcombinations in an embodiment of the invention and in other fields and can represent advantageous, independently protectable constructions, for which protection is hereby claimed.